Refer a Patient: Cardiac Surgery Parnassus

Please note that your patient can schedule an appointment with us before the referral process is complete.

Heart transplant referrals: What to include

If you’re referring a patient to our heart transplant program, please include the following records:

• Clinical summary, including all current medications and treatment plans
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) and chest X-rays
• Lab test results
• Female patients: gynecological exam with Pap smear and (if age 40 or older) mammogram, both within the past year
• Male patients age 40 and older: prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test

The program's medical director will review these records. For information on what comes next, please see the “What to expect” section below.

Heart transplant referrals: What to expect

Meet for evaluation

After we’ve reviewed the patient's information, we may schedule an appointment for an evaluation with the heart transplant team. The team includes a cardiologist, dietitian, pharmacist, physical therapist, social worker, transplant nurse coordinator and transplant surgeon.

If your patient is a potential heart transplant candidate, we will schedule appointments for additional evaluations.

Receive the treatment plan

Once the evaluation is complete, you and your patient will receive a written summary of the results and the process to select heart transplant candidates. Shared management guidelines are developed and a care plan will be discussed.

As part of our treatment options, ventricular assist devices are offered for every patient. Other treatment options include experimental medicines and devices not available at other medical centers.

Because we offer simultaneous heart and kidney transplants, more patients become eligible to receive heart transplants.